Pavlova: A true Christmas classic. Photo / Getty Images
Jennifer Bowden is a registered nutritionist with an MSc (Dist) in Human Nutrition. She takes a weight-neutral approach to health, writing on nutrition with a focus on holistic health and well-being.
Are there any traditional Christmas foods you definitely steer clear of? If so, what’s the story behind
your avoidance?
I’m not a big fan of ham at any time of year, so I live in hope every Christmas that there’ll be roast turkey or chicken on the table instead. Otherwise, I’ll eat a token slice of ham under duress -preferably smothered in mustard so I don’t have to taste it. I have no idea why I dislike it so much, but the aversion extends to roast pork too, so there’s clearly a theme. That said, I would never turn down a perfectly crispy side of bacon with my eggs benedict. Go figure.
If you could eat only one Christmas dish for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
I feel like it would need to be a dessert, since most of the savoury Christmas dishes are things we already eat throughout the year. So for a true Christmas classic, it would be pavlova – my husband would be thrilled, since he’s the designated leftover-eater in our family.
What’s your secret weapon for surviving the Christmas feast without loosening your belt?
Gone are the days of my childhood when I would stuff myself so full that I’d end Christmas Day feeling sick from all the pavlova and ambrosia. These days I’m a keen advocate of intuitive eating, and a core part of that is honouring your body’s fullness cues, so I don’t eat past fullness, which means no need to loosen the belt.
It’s also much easier to stop eating when full if you honour your taste buds by actually eating the foods you really want, rather than trying to be some sort of super-healthy hero for the day. So I put the favourite foods on my plate first, and I always plan to leave room for dessert (a quick scan of the dessert table is excellent motivation for that).
If you could invent a healthier version of a classic Christmas treat, what would it be?
I love the reinventions of ambrosia that are around. It’s a beloved Kiwi classic, but usually more sugar than substance. I’d keep the berries and marshmallows but opt for Greek yoghurt, rather than a sugar-sweetened fruit yoghurt, combined with cream to dial down the sugar coma. You still get all the Christmas joy without needing a liedown afterwards.
What’s your favourite holiday snack that we should be munching on as we wait for the turkey to roast?
Nuts! They are just the tastiest little nuggets of nutritious goodness, so how could we not have them as a holiday snack?
If Christmas dinner is a summer beach barbecue, what’s on your plate?
Steak, fresh sweetcorn and salads, but clearly not pork sausages – need I say more?
What’s your approach to potluck parties? Do you bring a healthy dish or do you embrace the delicious chaos?
I deliberately bring a dessert as I feel it’s my duty as a non-diet nutritionist to help people chill out about healthy eating and realise you can enjoy tasty and sweet food as part of a healthy lifestyle. The dessert I’m known for is a lemon meringue pie; I use an old recipe from a 1970s Highlander Condensed Milk booklet that my mum saved.
Are there any summer foods that get a bad rap but you think deserve a second chance?
Potato salad often gets written off as stodgy or unhealthy, but I think it deserves a second chance. Summer brings baby potatoes at their best, and if you take inspiration from German-style potato salads with vinegar-based dressings, herbs and capers, you can create a delish and satisfying dish. Bonus: leaving the skins on provides fibre, and cold cooked potatoes contain starches that are digested more slowly than hot potatoes, plus leftovers are delish served the next day, making it a smart summer option.
Do you have a go-to summer dessert that feels indulgent but is actually healthy?
My go-to is a bowl of fresh chopped summer fruit topped with a dollop of creamy Greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of toasted nuts and seeds. It feels like dessert but is basically just fruit dressed up for a party.
What summer fruit do you never tire of, and how do you enjoy it best?
I could never get tired of berries and stone fruit. We’re incredibly blessed in New Zealand to have such amazing summer produce. My husband and I pile berries onto our breakfast muesli most mornings along with fruit salads in the evenings; it always feels slightly indulgent, but I suspect that’s my 1970s Muldoon-era childhood whispering that fruit should be a luxury.
Is there a particular summer drink you’d recommend that’s both refreshing and nutritious?
I make a fruit punch that is surprisingly popular at our family events – it’s a combo of pineapple juice, cranberry juice and ginger ale. Then I throw in chopped up strawberries or slices of orange with ice cubes in a big bowl. It always goes down a treat and people seem to think it’s rather fancy; I hate to disappoint them by admitting to the short list of ingredients.
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